PF Damontre Harris headed to Florida

[FeatheredCock]

By Michael DiRocco | ESPN.com

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Former South Carolina forward Damontre Harris has decided to transfer to Florida, according to Dave Telep, ESPN's senior national basketball recruiting analyst.

The 6-foot-9 Harris chose the Gators over Kansas. He will have to sit out the 2012-2013 season per NCAA transfer rules and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Harris averaged 6.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game last season as a sophomore for the Gamecocks. He was named to the Southeastern Conference's All-Defensive team. Harris averaged 3.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as a freshman

 

[Stewie]

Wish him good luck there

 

[FeatheredCock]

Harris transfers to Florida; Martin reacts

GoGamecocks staff reports



Mark Humphrey/AP -

Damontre Harris

Florida officially added former USC basketball player Damontre Harris to its roster Wednesday after receiving notification of his intent to transfer from USC.

Harris’ mother, Sharhonda, confirmed her son’s decision Wednesday afternoon.

During his two seasons at USC under former coach Darrin Horn, Harris averaged 5.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Harris told the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer during a Memorial Day weekend function that Florida figured significantly in his best college memories to date.

In two games at Florida’s O’Connell Center, Harris scored 20 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and recorded nine blocks, including a career-high six in this past season’s game.

“The best game I had my freshman year was there, and my sophomore year, that’s probably the best game I had,” Harris told the Observer. “The coaches have been joking with me a lot, so I just tell them it’s the gym and their fans, the atmosphere.”

The 6-9, 227-pound forward will have to sit out the 2012-13 season, but could apply for a hardship waiver.

Florida and Kansas were finalists for Harris’ services. Originally, he had hoped to transfer to N.C. State to be closer to his home, but USC would not grant him clearance to explore a transfer there, apparently due to concerns of tampering (inappropriate contact) by N.C. State.

“South Carolina is a great school, a great place to be,” Harris told the Observer. “They treated me well my two years there, and it’s kind of hard to leave there because I’m kind of established and have got a lot of people I’m leaving behind.”

USC coach Frank Martin said allowing Harris to transfer, even if to a rival SEC program, was about doing the right thing.

“If that young man does not want to be at this school, then you shouldn’t hold him hostage,” Martin told the Tampa Bay Times during a break at the SEC spring meetings. “Now we’ve got to compete against Damontre and I don’t like that. But why should I block him from going to the school he wants to play at, as long as things were handled the right way?”

For South Carolina, there are seven scholarship players set to return for next season, and Martin has four players committed for the 2012 class. Bruce Ellington also plans to be back, but his scholarship counts toward football.

link: http://www.gogamecoc...o-transfer.html

 

[Andrew]

Wish him good luck